The recent arrival of hantavirus in Gran Canaria, following an emergency landing of a plane with infected individuals, has reignited collective fear. This event, coupled with recent memories of lockdowns, has caused an alarm that, according to experts, has been irresponsibly fueled by social media, some news outlets, and the political sphere.
While healthcare professionals address the virus with established protocols and necessary prudence, the political system and media polarization have shown a remarkable ability to shift focus. What should be health management has transformed into an "opportunistic infection" of a political nature, spreading rapidly.
“"Here we are not talking about an accidental contagion; what we are seeing these days is an opportunistic infection, perfectly avoidable, but one that spreads with astonishing speed."
Although the Andes virus, the strain of hantavirus transmissible between humans, has a high mortality rate in severe cases and lacks specific effective treatment, it is a known virus with limited transmission methods. This is not a scenario of mass contagion or a pandemic threat, but a localized outbreak requiring health management, international coordination, and respect between administrations.
However, the management of collaboration between the central administration and the Canary Islands has been described as arrogant and opaque. This context has fostered a "preventive theater" where each political actor plays their role with an eye more on public opinion than on finding effective solutions to the crisis.
Fear, unlike hantavirus, does not require close contact to spread. It finds fertile ground in uncertainty, irresponsible journalism, alarmist headlines, institutional disloyalty, and the inability of leaders to speak with a unified voice. Politics, in this scenario, seems to have lost its ability to generate antibodies, leaving society exposed to distrust and opportunism.
